This invention relates to a tire changing apparatus, and more specifically, to a tire changing apparatus particularly suited for use in the changing of relatively heavy tire and wheel combinations as are typically found on trucks.
Many tire changing machines commonly in use today are quite adequate for their intended purpose when used in changing various wheel and tire combinations commonly employed in automobiles. Typically, they include a base mounting a table-top or tire receiving surface in an elevated position, usually 30 or more inches above the underlying surface supporting the machine. However, wheel and tire combinations employed on a large variety of trucks may be considerably larger than those used with automobiles. Thus, even if the tire changing apparatus is capable of performing tire changing operations on the larger truck tires, the operator of the changer will be faced with considerable difficulty in elevating the wheel and tire combination sufficiently to place it on the tabletop for servicing purposes due to the considerably increased weight of the larger truck tire and wheel combinations.
As a consequence, the operator will be quickly fatigued and considerable inefficiency will enter into the changing process.
Thus, there is a real need for a tire changing apparatus which eliminates or otherwise minimizes the amount of physical effort required by an operator thereof and yet which still allows the servicing of tires of relatively large size in an efficient and expeditious manner.